UNIT 2. European culture

Step 3. Different faces of European culture: North, South, East and West

In the Ancient era, European culture was centred on the Mediterranean. The Greek and then Roman Empire expanded, including more and more populations from the North. After the fall of Roman Empire, the centre shifted to Constantinople, to eventually shift again in the Middle Ages to Central and Northern Europe. Eastern Europe, powerful in the Early Modern period, then lost its importance from the 18^th century onwards. Western European Empires, on the other hand, became even more powerful thanks to their colonial expansion – and exploitation of overseas territories. Thus, the notions of North, South, East and West bear a strong symbolic value.

Northern Europe ß---------------à Southern Europe
Western Europe ß---------------à Eastern Europe

These two axis were often definitive of mutual perceptions among Europeans.